BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press
Michael Doyle is determined to help Alloa secure survival to repay boss Danny Lennon and physio Gerry Docherty for spearheading his recovery from injury.
Doyle, 24, left the Clackmannanshire club after four years during the summer in search of full-time football – only to suffer ligament damage while training on his own.
As a free agent, the former Celtic kid paid for the operation out of his own pocket rather than endure the 10 week wait for surgery on the NHS.
Despite Doyle leaving the club in the close season, Alloa stepped in to oversee his rehabilitation and nurse the promising defender back to full fitness.
He has now re-signed with the Championship strugglers until January and has nothing but appreciation for the part they played in his recovery.
He told Capital City Press: “The manager offered me a deal at the end of last season but I told him that I wanted to get back to full-time football. He totally understood that I had been there for four years and didn’t grudge my decision.
“Then I was out doing some training on my own and I feet my knee go. I cannot thank Alloa enough – they said ‘come in and do your rehab with us’ and they looked after me brilliantly.
“There was never any obligation to rejoin the club, it was just that Danny that didn’t want to see me out of the game for too long. It was a brilliant gesture and it has worked out well for both parties at the moment.
“I’m a very competitive person, even in training – I’ll shout, swear and fly into tackles. I think that is something the gaffer wants at the moment, and hopefully I can help get us climbing the table.”
Alloa are currently second from bottom in a fiercely competitive Championship, five points adrift of safety. However, Doyle – a survival specialist in recent campaigns with the Wasps – reckons there is no need to panic.
He continued: “I’ve been there and done it when it comes to staying in this division. There are not many left who can say that.
“Hopefully I can help, as someone who knows that, even when things are not going well, you can keep ploughing on and get through it.
“It’s a long season and nothing will be decided until teams start picking up points at the tail end of the campaign.”
